“Ow!” The sting on my scalp was quick and sharp. Panic gripped me hard. There was no escape now.
He glared down with a vicious grin, his foul breath wafting down. “Since you got a piece of my face, I think I’ll take a piece of yours.” He jerked my head again, grinning wider when I whimpered in pain. “Keep still, bitch, if you don’t want to bleed out.”
He moved the knife toward my left eye. Cold terror ripped through me.
“No. Please.”
Suddenly, his weight lifted off me, and he dragged me back with him. I hit the cabinet, the knife clattering to the floor. There was grappling in the hallway just outside the door. I scrambled to my feet and rushed through the doorway to find Demetrius kneeling over the man, beating the hell out of him. The man was already unconscious. Blood spattered as Demetrius continued to rain blow after blow in a maddening frenzy. Something crunched. I thought he was going to kill him.
“Stop! Demetrius, please stop!” I grabbed his forearm, which snapped him from his savage trance.
He was on his feet and had both arms around me in a split second, breathing ragged and body trembling violently. “Are you all right?”
I hugged him hard, finally allowing the tears to fall for what might have happened. “Yes.”
He pulled back and cupped my face in his hands. Bloody spray had speckled his cheek. “My God, Shakara. Tell me you’re all right.”
“I am. I’m fine. You’re here. I’m fine.”
He seemed to need me to repeat it to believe it, his eyes still stormy with rage. Pressing his forehead to mine, he said my name so soft, like a desperate prayer. “Shakara.”
“I’m okay. It’s okay now.” My inner healer wanted to help him find peace even though it was I who’d been in danger.
He pulled away long enough to punch a number on his wrist comm, then tugged me close again. Someone answered his call.
“What’s up, man?”
“Max, I need officers here at the Morgon clinic before I fucking kill this man who just attacked Shakara. You have three minutes.”
“We’ll be there in two.” The comm call clicked off.
“Who was that?” I asked.
“A friend. Come with me,” he said, ushering me back toward the front reception area.
“Wait! Carra. She’s tied up in my office.”
Demetrius’s gaze darkened further. “I’ll take care of her.” With one hand around my waist, he guided me all the way out the door to the street and waved in the air to the building next to us.
Within a heartbeat, my body guard landed next to us, closing his giant silver wings with a rush of wind. “What happened?”
“Where were you?” barked Demetrius accusingly. “You didn’t see the man who entered the clinic?”
I put my hand on Demetrius’s chest. “He couldn’t. The man was already in there when I arrived.” I nodded to the guard whose name I still didn’t know. “He had followed me from my aunt’s hotel and wouldn’t have seen him.”
Demetrius clenched his jaw. “The receptionist is still inside in the back.”
My body guard swept past us without a word and went after Carra.
Sirens wailed, drawing closer. It was under two minutes when Demetrius’s friend screeched up to the curb. A man with dark hair wearing street clothes hopped out of a black sedan with lights on the dash.
“Who was it?” he asked as he stepped up next to us.
The other officers strolled past us into the clinic. The spinning blue lights were comforting somehow.
“I’ll give you one guess,” said Demetrius.
“I bet he’s bald and wears a trench coat.”
I sucked in a breath. “How did you know?”
The man nodded and smiled at me, a hint of the devil in his eyes. “Hi, there. Maxwell Rivers at your service.”
“Hello.”
“Max.” Demetrius cut through the niceties, his expression still dark and grave. “You’d best pay a visit to Aron Grayson. Because if I do, I’ll murder him in cold blood for this.”
“Warning received. You stay away from Grayson. I’ll take care of it.”
“I’m not joking.”
“No,” said Max, still lightheartedly. “You don’t appear to be. As I said, I’ll take care of it.”
“Shakara!” Carra ran up to me, her mascara in streaks down her face.
I hugged her close. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “He was asking for you. Before I could message you a warning, he grabbed me and tied me up. I’m so sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” I gave her one more squeeze then asked Max, “Can someone give her a ride home?”
“Of course.” He waved over one of the guys.
Another officer exited the clinic and stepped close to Max. “Uh, we’ll need an ambulance.” The young man glanced at Demetrius, eyes wide. “The perp, well, he needs medical attention.”
“Then call a damn ambulance,” said Max authoritatively. “Is your comm broken or something?”
“Yes, sir. I mean, no sir.” He rushed away to his police car.
“Newbie,” said Max with a shrug before angling a heavy look at Demetrius. “Get her home.”
Max obviously made light of the fact the young officer hadn’t expected to find the perpetrator lying unconscious with his face beaten bloody. The man was lucky I’d stopped Demetrius before he’d done worse.
With a hand on the small of my back, Demetrius guided me toward his vehicle across the street. Once the car was moving away from the scene, he reached over, clasped my hand, and pulled it into his lap. Neither of us said a word until I realized we weren’t heading toward my apartment.
“Where are we going?”
“My place.”
He’d never taken me there before. He swerved into an underground garage. I didn’t know the human business district well, but I knew what this building was.
“You live at Cade Technologies Tower?”
“I have an apartment on the top floor.”
Once out of the car, he was glued to my side again. I wasn’t about to complain. I was still shaken from the attack. Once inside the elevator, Demetrius punched in a code, a series of numbers and letters. A green light lit up next to the Penthouse button, which he then pressed. The elevator rose.
“Let me see your wrist comm,” he said.
I raised my wrist. He scrolled through to my notepad and typed in the same combination of letters and numbers.
“Now you have my code to get into my place any time you need.”
“Thank you.” I took his hand, still feeling the anger billowing off him. The energy was a fierce bite in the air. “Who else has the code?”
“No one.” He looked down at me with an intense expression. “Only you.”
The elevator dinged. We walked out into a foyer with an open archway leading into his place. Dark wood floors stretched across a room that was double the size of my apartment. One entire wall was nothing but glass with a stunning view of the business district.
“Wow,” I said, stepping closer to the view of the city lights.
He strode into the kitchen, stripped off his jacket, and tossed it on a sleek, black marble countertop. He removed his tie and button-up shirt, leaving him in his white undershirt. He tossed the rest aside and ran his hand under the faucet. The hand he used to pummel my attacker. I yearned to heal any wound he might have, but something told me he didn’t want tending to in that way. Men felt guilt when they couldn’t protect their loved ones. He showed all the signs of that sort of manly regret. He needed to feel the pain of the wound.
I gazed out at the city again. “Such a breathtaking view. But I can’t see the mountains from here.”
“No. We’re facing south,” he said quietly, coming up behind me. “Are you hungry?”
“No. I’m not hungry.” I wanted to remove that forlorn look from his face, but I didn’t know how.
He walked to a s
helf and picked up a remote. To the right of a cream velvet sofa was a modern fireplace encased in glass. The fireplace lit up the room with one click of his hand, the flames dancing on the shiny wood floors.
He moved to the sofa, sat, and held out a hand. “Come and rest, Shakara.”
I wanted nothing more. I sank onto the sofa and stretched out across his chest. Softly moving my wing out of the way, he wrapped an arm around my waist. I laid my hand over his heart and smiled to hear the steady beat was slower, calmer.
“Kraven should’ve been there,” he said, still angry.
“Who’s Kraven?”
“The Silverback from Nightwing Security. Your guard.”
“Demetrius, he couldn’t have known that man was in the clinic.”
“He should’ve known something was suspicious. Silverbacks are known for their strength and speed. If he’d been there, that fucker wouldn’t have gotten his hands on you.”
I crossed my arms on his chest, resting my chin on my hands. “How do you know about Silverbacks?”
Pulling his gaze from the fire to me, he shrugged. “I’ve been doing some research.”
“Have you now?”
“I want to know everything I can about Morgons,” he said sincerely. “I want to know everything I can about you.” He paused and brushed my hair away from my cheek. “Maybe I should take some time off from work until the hearing is over.”
“And what? Follow me around twenty-four hours a day?”
“Yes. Precisely.”
“Demetrius Cade finally takes a holiday to follow his girlfriend around.”
He switched gears quickly. “Please tell me you’re all right. When I remember him—”
I pushed up quickly and wrapped my arms around his neck, my body pressed to his. “Shhh.” I kissed him softly. “He didn’t hurt me.” Another kiss. “He didn’t have time.” Another. “Because my man saved me and nearly beat him to death.”
Banding his arms around me underneath my wings, he hugged me close. “I’m afraid I would’ve killed him if you hadn’t stopped me.”
“I know.”
He nudged my lips apart with his own then swept in with his tongue, stroking gently, nipping at my bottom lip as he pulled away. “Stay with me.”
“For tonight?”
The firelight danced over his features, his brown eyes the hue of melted honey. “Forever. If you like.”
My Aunt Asheera’s words came back to me, urging me to tell him about dragon heartstring. But I wasn’t sure he was ready for what “forever” meant for a Morgon. Once heartbound, he would live a longer life, hundreds of years longer. That is, if I lived the same. For once we were bound, neither could live without the other. If he died, so would I. If I died, so would he. We’d already had too much heaviness for one night. I couldn’t tell him. Not yet.
“Demetrius. Take me to your bed. And show me how you feel about me.”
Without another word, he lifted me in his arms and did as I asked.
Demetrius showed me his passion, his desire, his adoration and then, when we finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, he showed me how precious I was to him, keeping me within the shelter of his arms all night long.
Chapter 13
“Don’t be afraid.” Demetrius squeezed my hand and pressed the back of it to his lips.
“I’m not afraid.” The crowds squeezed onto the courthouse steps, including a few picketers of KORC. “I’m terrified.”
“Hey.” A finger under my chin, he gently tilted my face toward him. Caught in those dark eyes, my attention was riveted on him and the fierce strength he exuded. “I won’t be far. I’ll be in the audience. If you need reassurance, just look my way. Okay?”
With a shaky nod, I said, “Okay.”
His fingers threaded into my unbound hair as he edged closer and brushed his lips over mine. “It’ll all be over soon.” He firmed his mouth against mine, sliding his tongue inside for a brain-scattering kiss. He pulled back. “Better?”
“No. Now I just want to go home and pull you into bed with me.”
He grinned. “After.”
“Right.” Staring out the window, I sat up and exhaled a deep breath. “After.”
He squeezed my hand. “Come on.”
Before I’d even shut the door, he was at my side, an arm protectively around my waist, the backside of my wings brushing his skin. As one, we burrowed through the crowd of reporters and protestors, Demetrius firmly moving people out of our path.
I stared straight ahead, but one KORC sign caught my attention: Volt guns are a human’s best friend.
The carrier of the sign, a lanky college boy wearing designer jeans and an expensive watch, shouted, “Go back to your own kind!”
I blocked out the rest of the crowd’s shouting and the reporters jockeying to ask me questions as Demetrius ushered me past security and into the courthouse where the noise dulled to the murmuring of senators, attorneys, and officials there to witness the proceeding.
I caught my aunt’s gaze the moment I looked around. She glanced at Demetrius then back to me and smiled. My father did not. Rather, he scowled at our approach. Knowing this wasn’t the time to introduce dear old Dad to my human lover, I stopped Demetrius with a hand on his arm. “I’ll be fine from here.”
His brow pursed together in that familiar frown. He glanced at the Icewing clan, then back at me. “Are you ashamed of me?”
Slapped with that very unexpected question, I flinched. As if I could be ashamed of him. “No. Of course not.”
“Then why not introduce me?”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Because my father will want to ask you a hundred questions, and his mind will stray from the task at hand. I’ll have them over for dinner as soon as this is over.”
“Promise?” he asked before gripping my arms just below the shoulder. His expression darkened to that stern countenance he so often wore. “You know, you said something to me at Julian’s party that has never left me.”
“I did? What was that?”
“You said it was men like me who weren’t ready for a world where humans and Morgons mixed.”
I glanced down, shameful now of that accusation. “I was talking about the clinic.”
“No, you weren’t. But that’s okay. I wanted to clarify something now if I could.” He shifted closer, way too close for a public place. The fixed look of adamant in his eyes made my heartrate skitter faster.
“Demetrius.”
He gripped me tighter to keep me from backing away, pressing his body close as he leaned down, his lips hovering near mine. Flashes popped outside the glass doors where photographers swarmed.
“Demetrius, what are you doing?”
“I want to be very clear about something.”
“Can we talk about this later?”
“No.”
“Everyone is staring.”
“That’s precisely the point.”
“Then tell me whatever you need to say.” The weight of the stares was almost stifling. And Demetrius never moved his gaze from mine, as if the world didn’t matter at all. Only us.
“You were right in one sense. There are some men who will never be ready for the likes of us.”
“Us?”
“You and me. Morgon and human. But you were wrong about me.”
“I know, I—”
“You meant it at the time,” he said, cutting off what would’ve been my sad apology. “But I want you to know right now, Shakara Icewing, that the world can go to hell and burn for all I care.” One hand slid beneath my hair, wrapping my nape. “You are mine, and I am yours. And that is all that matters.”
He crushed his lips to mine, much to the photographers’ delight as flashes went off like fireworks. The crowd of officials buzzed around us. I froze, petrified.
Demetrius simply pulled away, smiled down at me, and said, “I’ll be waiting here for you after.” He marched past the gathering of my clansmen, every one of them gaw
king, including my father. He said, “Good morning,” and gave them a courteous nod as if he hadn’t just planted an extremely inappropriate kiss on me for the whole world to see. No one said a word, just stared at him as he waltzed by. Then he passed his own father and members of the Chamber of Commerce and said “Morning, Father. Gentlemen.” He marched on with a lightness in his step and head held high as he entered the double doors of Parliament’s White Chamber, where all hearings and sessions took place. Everyone remained staring, stupefied, including me, until the doors opened behind us.
Lucius, Jessen, and Julian entered, Lucius with one wing wrapped around their son. They stopped at my side.
“Good Lord, what did we miss?” asked Jessen, scanning the hall. “Everyone is stunned still.”
“I’ll tell you later. Time to get going.”
Lucius leaned over and brushed a kiss to Jessen’s cheek. “We’ll be inside.”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him, but he walked away looking less than comforted. When Lucius was gone, she asked me, “Have you see him? Aron Grayson?”
“No. I’m wondering if he plans to come at all. He may send a representative of the business.”
“That would be a relief. Let’s go then.”
We strode toward my clansmen, my aunt at the head, and joined them as everyone piled into the White Chamber.
“You two will sit at the front with us,” Aunt Asheera told me with a squeeze of my hand. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“I thought your head might be spinning from that kiss you just received.”
“What?” whispered Jessen, nudging into the conversation. “What kiss? Someone kissed you?”
“Um, yes. Your brother.” I glanced to the left to find him sitting in the front row for officials. He gave me a small smile.
“Stars above,” said Jessen. “I suppose the world is coming to an end.”
“No,” I assured her. “It’s only getting better.”
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